Device for applying metal clamps.



W. L. EVANS JRl NG METAL CLAMPS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.31,1912.

DEVICE FOR APPLYI Patentd Aug. 5, 1913.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

again;

INVENTOR WITNESSES ATTORNEY W, L. EVANS, JR. DEVICE FOR APPLYING METALCLAMPS.

APPLIUATION FILED AUG.31,191Z. Lfifig fsfiga Patented Aug. 5, 1913.

2 SHEBTSSHEBT 2.

INVENTOR WITNESSES ATTO R N EY at Washington, in the county ofl)9.VR(3SS form of an endless ring or loop whether in- 'the ring uponthe parts embraced thereby.

WILLKAM LEWIS; EVANS 31%.,

OF WASHINGTON, INDIANA.

DEVICE IEQR APLYING METAL CLAMPS.

Application filed August 31,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, WILLIAM L. Evans, J12, acitizen of the United States, residing and State of Indiana, haveinvented a new and useful Device for Applying Metal Clamps, of which thefollowing is a seed fication.

This invention has reference to improvements in devices for applyingmetal camps, especially in the form of an endless rin or loop designedto constitute the bin ing member of a joint. For use with the presentinvention the binding member is in the tegrally endless or eiiectivelyso, and this loop in the finished joint is'situated in a grooveorchannel formed or produced in the two parts to be joined together, so asto be partly included in each, and the ring is made to seat in thechannel in a manner to hold the two parts together at the joint. Inorder to insure a rigid connection not even aiiected by shrinkage orswelling of the parts joined together, which shrinkage or swelling isliable to occur in wooden structures, the, ring or loop is corrugated orcrimped or otherwise formed, so that the free area included in the ringor loop is less than that which is included when the ring or loop isexpanded, and the crimps or corrugations or other irregularities aresmoothed out either wholly or to a greater or less extent, suchstretching of the ring circuinterentially causing a sufficient increasein the area inclosed by the ring to permit it to seat in the groove orchannel provided for it, but in gripping or binding relation to theparts embraced by it, and this ring tends at all'times to return towardits initial condition, thereby automatically compensating for anyshrinkage of the parts without liability of loosening the grip of Thepresent invention comprises a device or machine for applying the ringsor loops to the parts to be joined together, whereby the contracted ringis stretched or expanded and then forced into the seat or groove inbinding relation to the parts to be joined, and the device includes ananvil or stretching member and a follower for forcing the ring or loopalong a constantly expanding portion of the anvil until-the ring issuiticicntiy expanded to be moved into the Specification of LettersPatent.

"of this specification,

groove or seat provided for it and as this Patented Aug. 55,1913.

13153. -Serial No. 713,162.

action requires the expenditure of considerable force the device 1s madeof ample SIZC and strength. for the purpose.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of thefollowing detailed description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings forming a part with the further understanding that while amenhof the invention is disclosed in the drawings, the invention is byno means confined to any exact conformity with such showing, since theinvention is susceptible of such changes and modifications which mark nomaterial departure from the salient features of the invention as definedby the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing-:-Figure 1 is a front elevation of the device of thepresent invention with parts shown in vertical. section. Fig. 2 is aside elevation of the structure o'i' Fig. 1 with parts shown in verticalsection and in a ditierent position of operation than in Fig. 1. Fig. 3is a plan View of a\ compieted oint. ring or loop 1n lts initial contactand adapt- Fig. i is a plan view of a ed for use inconnectlon with amachine oi the present invention. Fig. 5 is an edge view of thestructure of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a 5 plan view ota somewhat different typeof ring than shown in Fig. i. Fig. 7 is an edge view of the structureof. Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a base or support 1 havingears passage of screws 3 by means of which the device may be attached-t0any suitable sup-- port. The base is formed with a surface t designed to.receive the parts to be secured together, these Fig. 3 as two strips 5,6, respectively, in abutting I relation and together provided with achannel or seat 7 in which is lodged a ring 8, the seat being circularin outline. in the particular arrangement Fig. 3 and the ring isindicated as in empractical embodi- 65 2 for the parts being representedin 5 shown in 19g 8 shown separately in Figs. a 5

only by increasing this as, crimped or corrugated, so that its miniatedthat the ring is made of sufficient; size to enter the groove or seat 7and even then the ring has still a tendency to return to its initialcondition, wherefore it engages about the portions 9 and 10 of the twoparts to be 'joined together, gripping these portions tightly andresisting all efforts to disturb the relation of the joined parts unlesssuch efforts be powerful enough to be destructive.

In order to ex'pand the ring 8 there is provided an anvil 11 having afrusto-conical portion 12 and a cylindrical portion 13, While theinterior of the anvil is made hollow to provide an interiorly taperededge 14: coincident with that edge of the cylindrical portion 13 remotefrom the tapered portion 12. By this means the anvil may slightlyembrace the inner wall of the groove 7 with the cylindrical portion 13in alinementwith such inner walh The tapered portion 12 of the anvil 11is of such size that, its smaller end will freely receive a ring 8 inits initial condition, that mum internal diameter is less than theinternal diameter of the groove 7.

Risingfrom one end of the base 1 is an arm 15 which may curve away fromthe base as it rises and then curve toward the base until it terminatesin a portion 16 overhanging the at an appropriate distance above thesame. Lodged in the overhang 16 is a nut 17 traversed by a screw 18, andthe threads of the screw aswell as those of the nut may be of thesquareform because of the heavy work demanded, although any particular form ofthread is not obligatory.

The end of the screw 18 above the overhang 16 is provided with'a handWheel 19 which may be such as is usually provided in hand presses. Thelower end of the screw or screw shaft 18 is reduced in diameter, asindicated at 20, and this reduced portion is passed through one end '21of a bell-shaped follower 22 having its other end open and of a size tofit loosely about the anvilll and to enter the v groove 7. A screw 23and washer 24 serve to hold tit e bell follower 9,2 "to the screw shaft,so tha' t this bell is constrained to travel axially with the shaft,butneed not .of necessity turn;' with the shaft.

The range of travel of the screw shaft with the hellv is suflicient tocarry the open end of the bell ahove-theanvil, thus permit ting theapplication of a ring 8 thereto and when thehnnd wheel 19 is turned inthe appropriate direction the hell is forced over the anvil with theedge of its open end into engagement with. a ring 8 on the anvil, andfurther progressive movement of the shaft 18 will cause the follower toforce the ring along the anvil toward its wider end, thus expanding thering circumferentially and to a suitable extent ohliteratingthecorrugations or crimping until by the timethe ring incense reaches thecylindrical portion of the anvil it is round or nearly so, and then by afurther progressive movement of the follower the ring is discharged fromthe anvil into the seat where it tends to contract into firm engagementwith the inner walls of the seat 7, gripping these walls firmly anduniting the two parts 5 and 6 of the joint so strongly that no forceshort of a destructive force is suflicient to disturb the relation ofthe two parts of the joint, while the'tendency of the ring to contracttoward its initial position compensates for all shrinkage. After thering has been seated in. the channel designed to receive it, thefollower is withdrawn and the anvil removed, thus completing the jointso far as the connection of the two parts is concerned. Of course, anysuitable means may be employed. for further treatment of the joint tohide the groove and ring, or the ring may be left, exposed if desired,for in some instances such display of the ring is u-nobjectionahle. Thema chine is adapted for the production of blind joints, as well asvisible joints, as set forth in a companion application for the jointdisclosed in this application and filed on even date herewith, whereforeit is deemed unnecessary to illustrate any other type of joint than theone shown as itsuliiciently demonstrates the operation of the device ofthe present invention.-

By the term ring or loop is to be understood mcanmg any closed orcontinuous oar, wire, strip, or the like, whether of general circularform or of polygonal form. It may be stated, however, that it would seemthat the circular .form is to be preferred, especially with respect tothe groove or seat since said circular form of seat, is very readilyproduced. It is not necessary that the ring 8 should be of round crosssection,

as indicated in Figs. land 5,for it may be of other cross section, as,for instance, itmay be wider than thick in a manner illustrated in Figs.6 and 7, where a mug 8* is shown as produced of flat metal instead ofround metal, as in Figs. 4 and 5, and this fiat metal ring is crinipcdor corrugated, 'so that it must be expanded in order to enter thegrooveor seat '7. j

The endless ring or loop which the presentdevice. is designed to applyto the parts to be joined is not elastic in the sense of a split ring,which is expanded in a direction more or diametric in order to enlargeit, and

the elasticity of such split ring is depended not only far superior instrength to a split.

ring but grips the joined parts with a force far in excess of thatpossible with a ring of like cross section when its continuity is brokenat some one point to open thcreat.

"What is claimed is 1. A device for applying metal-clamps, comprising ananvil having a tapered portion shaped at its smaller end to receive anendless clamp ring or loop, a follower, and means for moving thefollower along the anvil to engage the-ring when on the tapered portionof the anvil to stretch said ring circumferentially to enlarge itsetl'ective inclosing area, said follower having a range'of movement todischarge the ring from that end of the anvil remote from the. taperedportion.

2. In a device for applying metal clamps, an anvil having one endcylindrical and tapered therefrom toward the other end, and a hollowfollower'open at one end and having a range of movement along the anvilto and beyond the cylindrical end. said follower having an internaldiameter sufficient to receive the cyl'indri all part of the anvil.

3. A device for the purpose described, comprising a base or support, ana in rising therefrom in overhangingrelation to the base or support, ascrew shaft thraded through the overhanging portion of the arm, afollower on the end of the shaft between the overhang of the arm and thebase or support,and an anvil having one end cylindrical and from thenceexternally tapered toward the other end, the follower being open at oneend and hollow and of a size to pass over. the cylindrical portion ofthe anvil axially thereof, and said follower having a range of movementto discharge a ring placed on the tapered end of the anvil from thecylindrical portion thereof.

4. A device for the purpose described comprising a base or support, anarm rising therefrom in overhanging relation to the base or support, ascrew shaft threaded through the overhanging portion of the arm, afollower-on one end of the shaft be tween the overhang of the arm andthe base or support, and an anvil having an external -taper -towardoneend, the follower being open at one end and hollow and of a size to passover the anvil axially thereof, said anvil having its larger endinternally hollowedto form a thin edge,

5. In a device for the purpose described, a

- supporting expander shaped at one end to receive a contracted endlessring or loop and constructed to cause an ex ansion of the ring or loopwhen moved aong said expander, and an actuator for causing movement ofthe ring or loopplaced upon the receiving end of the expander along thelatter to the other end thereof and having an extent of travelsufficient to discharge the ring or loop from that end of the expanderremote from the receiving end andwvhilc said ring is in theexpandedcondition:

(3. A device for applying expanded elastic rings or loops to workdesigned to receive them, comprising an expander shaped at one end toreceive the contracted elastic ring 7 or loop and at the other endhollowed out for application to the work where the ring is to heapplied, and an actuator for the ring or loop having a range of movementprogressively along the entire length ofthe expander to discharge thering or loop from the expander while said ring is in the enlargedcondition, said expander being constructed to cause the enlargement ofthe ring or loop during its progress along said expander.

7 in .a device for the purpose described, an expander for a contractedelastic ring or loop, constructed to cause an expansion, of the ring orloop during its travel along the expander, and an actuator for the ringor loop having a range of movement progressively along the entire lengthof the expander to cause enlargement of the ring and to then dischargeit from the expander while in the enlarged conditionx 8. A device forthe purpose described comprising a base or support adapted to receiveparts to be joined together, an arm rising from said 'base or support inoverhangingrelat-ion thereto, a follower carried by the arm and movabletoward and from the base or support, and an anvil separate from theremainder ofjthe device and adapt ed to be placedupon the parts to beunited, .-said anvil having the end adapted',to engage nature in thepresence of two witnesses.

W'ILLIAM' LEWIS EVANS, 5a.. Witnesses: v

LYMAN H. ODONNELL,

AUSTIN A. Toner

